1968 - Oliver! "Once a villain, you're a villain to the end!"

1968 Best Picture

Premiered December 10, 1968

Budget $10 Million

Gross $16.8 Million

This was the first Oscar winning movie with an MPAA rating. It was rated "G" but would probably have a PG or even PG-13 rating today because of violence. It shows how times have changed on both ends of the decency spectrum. 

We had an interesting experience with this movie. It was a double sided DVD but we didn't realize that. We watched the last half and were scratching our heads when the film was over after an hour. We finally figured it out and watched the first half second.

The story is good, the acting is ok and the music was decent. This movie did not do much to advance the art of film. It was just another musical in an era overflowing with musicals. 

Joel

Favorite: I liked the song "Boy For Sale". The subject matter was very haunting, the tune was beautiful and Harry Seacombe has a great voice.

Least Favorite: I did not like the actress who played Nancy. She was not a good actor and her singing voice was not very good.

Callie

Favorite: I liked the story. It would be great to see on the stage.

Least Favorite: I did not like the ending. 

A Summary of the first 40 years of Best Pictures

I, Joel, wanted to rundown the best and the worst of the first 40 years of Oscar Best Picture winners. It has been a lot of fun to see movies evolve from year to year and to see what people were watching in that time in  history.

Top 5 movies so far:
1. The Sound Of Music
2. My Fair Lady
3. Ben-Hur
4. Casablanca
5. It Happened One Night

Worst movies so far:
1. Tom Jones
2. Cavalcade
3. How Green Was My Valley
4. Hamlet
5. Cimarron

Biggest surprising movies that we liked: Rebecca and the Life Of Emile Zola.

Movies that were all hype but failed to deliver: Gone With The Wind and From Here To Eternity

Best decade so far: The 1950s

The worst decade so far: The 1940s

The best performance by an actor: Sidney Poitier in In The Heat Of The Night

The best performance by an actress: Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady

Best Director: Alfred Hitchcock in Rebecca

Best Quote: "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs!" from In The Heat Of The Night

1967 - In The Heat Of The Night: "They Call Me Mister Tibbs"

1967 Best Picture Winner

Premiered August 2, 1967 in New York

Budget $2 Million

Gross N/A

This is the first movie with a strong social message. It took a firm stand against racism and it got its point across. The movie held our attention for the entire duration and we were kept guessing until the very end of the movie. We were pleasantly surprised by the entire experience.

Joel

Favorite: I thought that Sidney Poitier did a great job as Tibbs.

Least Favorite: The music was very sixties-ish. It prevented the movie from being timeless.

Callie

Favorite: It had a feeling of suspense thriller that was fun.

Least Favorite: There was a hokey vibe about it: the music was bad and some of the acting was a little hokey.

1966 - A Man For All Seasons: "I Know A Man Who Wants To Change His Woman"

1966 Best Picture Winner

Premiered December 12, 166 in New York

Budget $2 Million

Gross $25 Million

The sixties roller coaster ride continues with A Man For All Seasons. As a play, it would be quite good but as a movie it misses the mark. The film is dull and is disjointed in a lot of places. Characters appear and disappear and then reappear a lot later without filling in the blanks. The movie is also very slow.

Joel

Favorite: I liked Robert Shaw as Henry VIII. He did an excellent job portraying an insane monarch. 

Least Favorite: I knew that I was supposed to root for Thomas but I couldn't bring myself to do it. He was righteous but he was so pious that it hurt the effectiveness of the character.

Callie

Favorite: The story line was intriguing. It emphasized integrity and honor.

Least Favorite: The acting was bad and every decision the director made made the movie worse.

1965 - The Sound Of Music: "I Wonder What Grass Tastes Like"

1965 Best Picture Winner

Premiered March 2, 1965

Budget $8.2 Million

Gross $163 Million

We are discovering that the sixties were an up and down decade in terms of film. It is refreshing to have two top notch movies in a row. 

The Sound Of Music is as close to a "perfect movie" as we have come so far. The film is fantastic from the opening camera shots from the air, to the music, to the acting, to the story up until the suspense filled climax. We were both very familiar with this movie but it adds to impact of the movie to watch it in the context of its Best Picture predecessors. 

Joel

Favorite: The end is suspenseful and compelling. I knew the ending but I will still nervous that the Nazis would find them.

Least Favorite: My only beef with the movie is the fact that Maria and Liesl appear to be the same age. Charmian Carr was 23 and Julie Andrews was 30 but their makeup made them both appear to be 25. 

Callie

Favorite: I've seen this movie before and I loved it this time. It is timeless and purely enjoyable all around.

Least Favorite: Sometimes the way that Capt. Von Trapp says his lines is annoying. 

1964 - My Fair Lady: "You expect me to get in there and well myself all over?"

1964 Best Picture Winner

Premiered October 21, 1964 in New York

Budget $17 Million

Gross $70 Million

We go from the worst Best Picture winner (Tom Jones) to the best movie we've seen so far. Everything about My Fair Lady exudes quality and class. Audrey Hepburn is the best actress that we have seen so far. Her performance was amazing and timeless. Rex Harrison also did an excellent job as the professor. The music is timeless and the humor is very funny and right on the mark. The movie is 50 years old but it is still funny, compelling and moving. 

Joel

Favorite: The scene where the professor agrees to work with Eliza is the best single scene of any movie so far (barely edging out the chariot race scene in Ben Hur). The onscreen chemistry between Hepburn and Harrison is an example that should be held up for future screen actors to aspire to.

Least Favorite: The only drawback for me was the fact that Audrey Hepburn was dubbed during the songs. I don't believe that a producer would make that decision for a film today that was expected to compete for an Oscar. 

Callie

Favorite: The witty dialogue. I was entertained throughout the entire movie.

Least Favorite: The ending: I wanted more closure at the end. 

1963 - Tom Jones: "I had the misfortune to know who my parents were"

1963 Best Picture Winner

Premiered October 6, 1963

Budget $1 Million

Gross $50 Million

No, it's not a mistake, we did not forget to rate this movie using our popcorn bags. It did not earn any popcorn bags because it is the worst film we've seen so far. The script, acting, morals, makeup and directing were awful. The movie was supposed to be a comedy but there was nothing funny in the film whatsoever. I am not sure what the members of the Academy were thinking in 1963.

Joel

Favorite: When the words "The End" came up on the screen.

Least Favorite: It was the first best picture winner to use sex to elicit humor. It was offensive and not funny at all. The movie is a waste of time!

Callie

Favorite: There was no favorite.

Least Favorite: It was supposed to be a comedy, but we never laughed. The entire plot was disgusting and not entertaining.

1962 - Lawrence Of Arabia: "Thy mother mated with a scorpion"

1962 Best Picture Winner

Premiered December 16, 1962

Budget $15 Million

Gross $70 Million

This film had so much going for it. The wide sweeping view of the desert created a unique visual. The military  aspect also provided a way to create the potential for a compelling plot. Finally, the feuding tribes in Arabia provided a vehicle for a powerful hero. At first, I thought Lawrence would be this hero. However, the film left us confused as to who Lawrence really was. The scenes did not connect the dots very well. The director left too many holes. 

Joel

Favorite: I liked the character Sherif Ali. He was a character who became my favorite even though the protagonist was supposed to be Lawrence.

Least Favorite: I did not see how the beginning of the movie that captured Lawrence's death added to the whole of the film.

Callie

Favorite: I liked the setting. It gave a good depiction of what life was like in the desert.

Least Favorite: Throughout the four hour movie, I never really connected with and understood Lawrence. 

1961 - West Side Story: "We won't bite you until we know you better"

1961 Best Picture Winner

Premiered October 18, 1961 in New York

Budget $6 Million

Gross $43.7 Million

West Side Story is a classic movie. The songs are catchy and fun to listen to. The movie is one you should see at some point in your life if you've never seen it. However, this isn't a great movie. As a stage production, it gets 3 popcorn boxes, as a movie it only gets two. Here's why: the acting is not good and the filmmakers did not add anything to the stage production to enhance the experience. There's a big difference between the stage and the screen. Most filmmakers have a tough time figuring it out. 

Joel

Favorite: I liked many of the classic songs, especially "America"

Least Favorite: Some of the dance scenes with the boys in the gangs was a little hokey.

Callie
Favorite: I think the story is excellent. It is easy to relate to and it draws you in.
Least Favorite: The acting was bad and the music seemed to fight the story line rather than advance the story line. 

1960 - The Apartment: "I said I had no family; I didn't say that I had an empty apartment.

1960  Best Picture Winner

Premiered June 15, 1960 in New York

Budget $3 Million

Gross N/A

It was fun to see a film that had actors in it that I have seen in movies that have come out within the last 15 years. It was also fun to see our first romantic comedy since It Happened One Night. 

On the downside, it was sad to see how far morality has slid in the past few years. The premise centers around white collar executives who wanted to borrow the key to Baxter's apartment for their extra marital affairs. No one seems to see anything wrong with the behavior until one of the wives find out about what is going on.

Joel

Favorite: I thought that Jack Lemmon did a great job. He did a great job making his character look likable and pathetic at the same time.

Least Favorite: It was in black and white. Color films had been around for many years and yet the studio did not spend the extra money to colorize it. 

Callie

Favorite: It felt like a modern movie. It was like a romantic comedy that was done in modern times. The pacing was nice. You connected with the characters and you felt drawn into the plot.

Least Favorite: The morality levels reaches a new low and I felt that it was degrading to women.

1950s Wrap Up

We seemed to alternate between girl movies (All About Eve, Marty and Gigi) and guy movies (On The Waterfront, Bridge Over the River Kwai and Ben-Hur). We both agree that the 50s were much better than the 40s. Overall, the movies were solid with good stories trumping glitzy special effects as priorities for the studios.

1959 - Ben-Hur: "In His eagerness to save you, your God has also saved an entire Roman fleet"

1959 Best Picture Winner

Premiered November 18, 1959

Budget $15.9 Million

Gross $70 Million

Callie and Joel came away with different opinions of this movie. You will get Joel's thoughts since I am writing this blog. I loved the film for many different reasons: the message, the story and what the movie did for the art of film. First, the message: The message of the film is that there is a redeemer who desires a relationship with you and is reaching out to you. All you have to do is accept what he is offering and He will save you. The story: Creative, inspirational, moving and interesting are some of the words that came to my mind while watching it. Finally the movie advanced the industry by using wide shots of big sets, employing lots of extras for several scenes and by using the best stunts we have seen so far. This is the best movie we have seen so far on our journey of Best Picture winners.

Joel

Favorite: The chariot race scene is the single best scene we have experienced so far (surpassing the courtroom scene in the Life of Emile Zola).

Least Favorite: At almost 4 hours in length, it does drag at times. 

Callie
Favorite: It was cool to see the Roman culture during that time.
Least Favorite: I felt that it was overdone at times and tended to be a little cheesy. 



1958 - Gigi: "Bad table manners have broken up more marriages that infidelity"

1958 Best Picture Winner

Premiered May 15 1958 in New York

Budget $3.3 Million

Gross N/A

This movie gave more respect for timeless musicals (like Wizard of Oz or the Sound of Music). The music did not appeal to me at all. The story was boring and actually a little creepy: The creepy old uncle talks and sings about loving "little girls". I found it very odd.

The only intriguing part of the film is the character Gigi. She is an unrefined teenage girl who becomes a lady. Her transformation is somewhat interesting. It was one bright spot in an overall dull movie.

Joel

Favorite: I liked the use of the narrator, Honore. That showed some creativity on the part of the writer.

Least Favorite: I hated the music. All of it was terrible and boring.

Callie
Favorite: I enjoyed the feminine quality of the movie. Not many films so far have had that. It was certainly a chick flick.
Least Favorite: It was shady. A 35 year old man chasing a 15 year old.

1957 - The Bridge On The River Kwai: "Queer bird...even for an American"

1957 Best Picture Winner

Premiered December 18, 1957 in New York

Budget $3 Million

Gross $33.3 Million

I (Joel) feel that this is the best movie we've seen so far. My two favorites so far have been Rebecca and Casablanca, however this one gets the edge because this film has such a great message. The film has many redeemable qualities to it: courage, honor and the message that you should work hard at everything put in your path. The theme of the movie really spoke to me as a man. 

The acting is excellent, the script is great and the ending is the most exciting and suspenseful that we've encountered yet. We recommend this movie to everyone, especially if you've never seen it. 

Joel

Favorite: The theme of the movie resonated with me.

Least Favorite: I wanted a purely honorable character. All of them were flawed: Nicholson began to go insane, Shears was a coward at times, Clipton was pessimistic but was the closest to being "pure"

Callie

Favorite: The last 10 minutes were tense and exciting. 

Least Favorite: It was too long.

1956 - Around The World In 80 Days: "Follow that ostrich"!

1956 Best Picture

Premiered October 17, 1956 in New York

Budget $6 million

Gross $42 million

This was the first epic film we've seen since Gone With The Wind. Everything about the film is big: The Special effects, the sets, the acting. The movie was very entertaining and the scenes moved along rather quickly even though the movie is quite long. They just tried to pack as much story into the film as possible. It is a good, entertaining movie, not a great movie. 

Joel

Favorite: I am glad to see that Hollywood had finally figured out that each scene does not have to drag on and on. Each scene showed the essentials and then moved on.

Least Favorite: The film started out with a cartoon about the universe. Callie made me check to make sure that I really put the right movie into the DVD player.

Callie

Favorite: It was action packed and quick moving. 

Least Favorite: Fogg rescues the princess but she doesn't play a role in moving the story forward after that scene, she is just present in every scene after that.

1955 - Marty: "College girls are one step from the street I tell you"

1955 Best Picture

Premiered April 11, 1955 in New York

 Budget $343,000

Gross N/A

Marty was a nice, sweet innocent movie. It follows a bachelor and his quest to find love. He is rejected time and time again until he finally finds his match. It is entertaining to follow his whirlwind romance, then to see his friends who try to talk him out of it and the the sweet ending.

It surprised us that it won because it is such a light movie. It doesn't have a political message. It doesn't have much serious content at all. It is just a fun movie to watch on a Saturday night. 

Joel
Favorite: I like the innocence of it all.

Least Favorite: The movie was still in black and white. 

Callie: I felt for Marty. The director did a good job making me like the main character.
Least Favorite: I didn't like the ending. I wanted more closure. 

1954 - On The Waterfront: "I Could've Been A Contender"

1954 Best Picture Winner

 

Premiered July 28, 1954

 

Budget $910,000

 

Gross $9.6 million

 

The great movies were all ahead of their time. Rebecca introduced the Hitchcock type suspense to the world, Casablanca took acting to a new level, It Happened One Night brought Romantic Comedy to to Hollywood. This was a great crime drama before the era of great crime dramas in the 1970s. The action and suspense make it a film worth watching. It also worked to expose the corruption of unions in blue collar industires.

 

Joel

Favorite: I really liked the performance of Marlon Brando. He is the best actor we've seen since Clark Gable.

Least Favorite: I liked everything about the film.

 

Callie

Favorite: The plot was good and the movie had a nice pace to it.

Least Favorite: It was hard to follow the characters and who was who.





1953 - From Here To Eternity: "I don't want to be an officer. I'm happy where I am"

 

1953 Best Picture Winner

Premiered August 5, 1953 in New York

Premiered: $1.7 Million

Gross: $30.5 Million

 

This was a movie that had a very progressive plot, meaning that I could imagine a movie with the same script hitting theatres today. It was also a plot that would not have made it into a movie ten years prior to the release date either. The movie centers around an adulterous affair and it romanticizes the relationship. Again, we see the evolution of what is seen as acceptable from a moral perspective.

 

The film was quick moving and compelling. We also liked the way that it built toward the attack on Pearl Harbor. We saw how the attack affected all of the main characters.

 

Joel

Favorite: I liked the fact that they casts Frank Sinatra in the film and didn't make him sing!

Least Favorite: I did not like the fact that the main love story was actually an affair.

Callie
Favorite: It has fun to see the time period depicted in Pearl Harbor.
Least Favorite: The attack on Pearl Harbor only took up the last five minutes of the movie. 

1952 - The Greatest Show On Earth: "Grab your waterwings girls, here comes a big wave"

1952 Best Picture Winner

Premiered January 10, 1952 in New York

Budget: $4 Million

Gross: $14 Million

 

This movie was a spectacle. It was fun to see the different acts from the circus. However, it was a good movie, not a great movie. The film was entertaining but it did not advance the art of film making.

 

If you miss the old big top circus days, this is a movie that you would enjoy. The movie takes a lot of time showing the acts, in many cases, in their entirety. That reason caused the film to drag a little bit. Overall though, it was a solid film.

 

Joel

Favorite: I liked seeing Jimmy Stewart as "Buttons" the clown.

Least Favorite: I did not like the female lead, "Holly". I did not like the way the writers scripted her character.

Callie

Favorite: I liked the whole spectacle of the film. The animals, real trapeze artists, it was like watching a real circus.
Least Favorite: The length. It was way too long and they showed the entire acts and they could have just showed a portion of each act.